This article is from the Journal of Chemical Education and it discusses how to construct and administer an effective oral examination not just for the student but also for the teacher. It begins with an introduction to ICML (Interactive Compensatory Model for Learning). There are five components to the model and they are discussed and summarized in the article. It first talks about the importance of appropriate design and administration. Essentialy, the students shouldn't be uncomfortable when taking an oral examination; ample time should be provided and they shouldn't feel intimidated by the instructor, etc. They then move on to a comparisson of the benefits and costs of conducting an oral examination. The benefits included being able to understand a students' thought process in a more in depth manner and the grades prove to be 15% - 20% higher when compared with written exams. They don't appear to analyze the costs of the oral examination, but that's because they turned one of the larger costs, lost class time, into a benefit.
I think this article was fantastic. An oral examination is not something I had given too much consideration for in the past. But this article really makes me reconsider my previous thinking. With an appropriate design, the student can feel more comfortable within this face to face meeting with their instructor. I had previously been concerned that this would be to intimidating for the student and they would draw blanks under the pressure of the situation. With proper design, an oral examination can actually become a motivator instead of an intimidator. The student will not want to fail in such close presence to the teacher.
Another great thought presented in this article is the twist of lost class time. As I was reading along I couldn't help but think that the lost class time would have such an impact that it just wouldn't be worth it to administer an exam in this manner. But as it turns out, this can be compensated by the fact that all the grading would be done as soon as the last student was finished taking the exam. You wouldn't have to spend all the time typically taken up to grade a written exam. So it actually takes less overall time to just give an oral exam instead of administering an grading a written exam.
Lastly, one of the benefits that they mentioned in regards to administering an oral exam is the ability to unerstand the students' thought processes. Students may not be able to initially answer a question but can be guided to the correct answer using follow up questions, etc. In this manner we can determine where in the students' thought process they are getting a hang up and can't quite make the connection. We can use that information to adjust our way of teaching. Also, giving them molecular models for them to hold will help them visualize what may be being asked of them. Again, they can be asked to think aloud and the teacher will get an open window into the students mind.
This article has made me serriously consider an oral examination in my classroom. I will probably test it out in the beginning of the year and then try again later on near the end. I will make adjustments and then try the exam on the same topics the year after and see what kind of comparisson can be made. This may just be another valuable and useful tool that I will be able to add to my teaching arsenal.
Bibliography
Roecker, Lee (2007).Using oral examination as a technique to assess student understanding and teacher effectiveness. Journal of Chemical Education. 84, 1663-1666.
I think this article was fantastic. An oral examination is not something I had given too much consideration for in the past. But this article really makes me reconsider my previous thinking. With an appropriate design, the student can feel more comfortable within this face to face meeting with their instructor. I had previously been concerned that this would be to intimidating for the student and they would draw blanks under the pressure of the situation. With proper design, an oral examination can actually become a motivator instead of an intimidator. The student will not want to fail in such close presence to the teacher.
Another great thought presented in this article is the twist of lost class time. As I was reading along I couldn't help but think that the lost class time would have such an impact that it just wouldn't be worth it to administer an exam in this manner. But as it turns out, this can be compensated by the fact that all the grading would be done as soon as the last student was finished taking the exam. You wouldn't have to spend all the time typically taken up to grade a written exam. So it actually takes less overall time to just give an oral exam instead of administering an grading a written exam.
Lastly, one of the benefits that they mentioned in regards to administering an oral exam is the ability to unerstand the students' thought processes. Students may not be able to initially answer a question but can be guided to the correct answer using follow up questions, etc. In this manner we can determine where in the students' thought process they are getting a hang up and can't quite make the connection. We can use that information to adjust our way of teaching. Also, giving them molecular models for them to hold will help them visualize what may be being asked of them. Again, they can be asked to think aloud and the teacher will get an open window into the students mind.
This article has made me serriously consider an oral examination in my classroom. I will probably test it out in the beginning of the year and then try again later on near the end. I will make adjustments and then try the exam on the same topics the year after and see what kind of comparisson can be made. This may just be another valuable and useful tool that I will be able to add to my teaching arsenal.
Bibliography
Roecker, Lee (2007).Using oral examination as a technique to assess student understanding and teacher effectiveness. Journal of Chemical Education. 84, 1663-1666.
Using Oral Examination as a Technique to Assess Student Understanding and Teacher Effectiveness